Amusement apparatus



May l1 1927.

y G. H. RUMKE Auususm Arun/whs Filed nec. 18. 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 l 6 1Q o Q ..h.....

Patented May 17, 1927.

NLT Eil)i Sill AT.' lilS` PATIENT 01E E IC E..

emmen, immane, or nennen, COLORADO.

AMUmNT APR-Amiens.

Application niedvuqcemer 1s,"19z2. semina. 607,533.

to dpscribe a` comp @tp eircleunyder influence of centrlifiigwalpforee. T1 various forms, the perufprnier lnay be caused to describe a circle offfixed ragiiuds, or; to swing one or more times complett-iV y" said axis ongraduawlly increasing rafglli or radii workingIr trom separated CenterM "ilfhe trapeze works conl function `withr a propelling member; which er1-gages either" the performer or the ro es ofl the trapeze tp ptodiice the desired 1mpulse and in one forn' the pro elling member may carry a net" p stop t `e performer afterzhaving passed over the top of the circle and reached the lowermost point thereof. In one form afrigld'` traperle may be driven about the circle.

In the accompenyin0r certain embotliments il disclosed, p

`]l`i'g.` 1 is a" side View` ofM one form taken from line 1-1 offlfig. 2;.`

Ifig. 2 is a* front view tekeni from line 2.*2 0f F.- 1i;

drawings wherein the invention are Fig. `3` isha `deta`l showing a modification.

fer insee-sise the radius;

lignlg.` t 1s. perspective view showing a fisitrepees i Eig, 5 is a detailed section taken online 5 5 bf Fig, e y

isa side elevation of another' form having a net;

` Fig. T is a detail taken from line 7.-7 ot Fig. tl, the net beiner shown in lowermost position on the.. propcllling frame which car ries it;`

MFig. 8 is a modification of the form of Fig, 6 for increasing the radius of movement,the netbeilig dispensed with.

Figs. 9 and l() are side and front elevations respectivel of forms of the device embodyin all` o the importentV features of *other limsi All forms are shown as being particularly adapted to circus tents or to theatrical stages wherein suitable supporting blocks l() or the like for the moving;r portion of the apparatus` are properly positioned or suspended by means of guy wires or ropes 12V connectedwi'th the floor or ground below as bymeans oi'1 stakes 14er the like and with any convenient point of attachment above. The blocks 10 carry the aXle15 which directly carries the moving parts.

inthe form of Figs. 1 and 2, a sleeve 16 is mounted on axle 15, and the ropes 1S which carry the trapeze bar 19 are con nected with the ends of said sleeve. The

performer 2() thus will be loosely carried by the axlel, and he starts his movement by swinging back and forth until he reaches as high a point in the direction o'l' the arrow a; as possible. MOn the last stroke in the direction of said arrow, the cross bnr 22 of a rotary frame 21 is driven against the ropes 18 of the trapeze thereby adding to the swinging motionthat impulse which is necessaigy to carry thepertormer over the top of the circle, his position at the end of the trapze beingi maintained under influence of centriiualV lorce. rlhe frame 21, which is journaled on axle 15 is driven by means ot a pair ot large pulleys 241 over which there passes a belt preferably hand driven by means of a crank 26 or by pullingr on the belt itself. 'llhus power may be applied to the belt Q5 and frame 21 at just the moment desired'by attendants. After swinging over the axle thev performer is stopped, preferably, by means of a net, 34.-, placed in his path by attendants.

In Figs. 3 and 5 there is indicated a slight modification of the Jform of Figs; 1 and 2. Here the ends of the trapeze rope 18 are wrapped around the axle 15 a number of times as indicated at 118 and are secured to said axle. Thus for eaclfikroinplete circuit around the axle the ropes 18 will unwind from said axle one turn Allowing;F the radius upon which the performer swings to increase gradually. In this manner the performer may start from appoint close to the cross barZ of the frame 21, and. finish at a corr siderable` distance therefrom. lu these forms the performer will be stopped by means of a net drawn by attendants into his path of movement at a low point.

In Fi 4, the frame and trapeze are coinbined in o a single rigid device 119 carrying the trapeze bar 19, this device being driven directly by the pulleys 24 and belts 25. Since the rigidity of the arms 119 would prevent the performer from falling vertically afterA cessation of centrifugal force, a net would not be required to stop the swing of the performer although it can be used or the oscillatory movement could be allowed to stop gradually or could be stopped by means of the belt 25, or the performer could leap from bar 19 as it approached the ground if he wished.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a form of the device in which the performer starts from the topmost point of the circle and is stopped by a net automatically interposed, the performer being then swung over the top of the circle only once. Here the trapeze ropes are swingingly connected with axle 15 by means of clips30, anda pair of rigid poles or arms are journaled on said axle by bearings 32. Arms 33 constitute a propelling device and. carry between them a net 34 whereby a stopping device is provided also. Some means such as rests indicated at 35 in Fig. 6, is provided on the arms 33, to which the performer may mount and upon which he may be supported with said arms in the elevated position shown in Fig. G. For the purpose of maintaining the arms 33 upright they are provided with suitable catches 36 operable by the performer through the means of cords 37, said catches 36 being adapted for engagement by restraining cables 38 on one side of said arms. Cables 40 extend from the other side of said arms and may pass around pulleys to more or less powerful springs 44 which exert a strong pull on said arms. hen the cords 37 are actuated to withdraw the catches 3G from the cables 38, the springs 44 forcibly pull the propelling frame, which is composed of arms 33 and net 34, downward with the performer and the trapeze 18 in advance thereof. The power of said springs 44, or other suitable power means connected to cables 40, is suilicient to drive the performer upon the trapeze up from the lowermost point of the circle and over the top thereof and down again with the trapeze taut. Braking means such as cables 45 secured to supports 46 are connected to the arms 33 Vso as to stop their' movement when they reach approximately lowermost position as seen in dotted lines and also to spread the arms and stretch the net 34 as seen in Figs. 6 and 7 respectively. Thus the net is automatically positioned in the path of the performer to stop him after having been propelled over the top of the circle and upon reaching the bottom thereof again; supports 46 are spaced as shown.

y A modification of the form of Figs. 6 and 7 is disclosed in Fig. 8 wherein the net is eliminated andthe top of a tent T is employed to stop the performer. Here arms 50 are mounted upon the axle as are the arms and the performer is adapted to be supported upon rests 52 like rests 35. However the trapeze ropes 53 are wrapped once around to axle 15 and the ends are then passed upward and secured adjacent the top of the tent at 54. The means of Fig. G or other suitable means is employed for releasing and actuating the arms 50, which are spread and drawn out of the way by cables 55 like cables 45. Here the per Iorlner swings around the axle and unwinds the ropes 53 from axle 15 after passing over the top of the circle, so that as he passes the lowermost point his center of motion is transferred to the point of attachment 5l. This causes him to strike the canvas top of the tent T and be stopped thereby.

In any of these forms, a rope may be provided on the trapeze bar 1J to pass around the shoulders of the performer when he is hanging from his knees. This insures against his being thrown from the bal'. Such a rope is shown in Fig. 2 at GO.

A form which embodies all of the important features of the other forms is disclosed in Figs. 9 and 10. Here the axle 15 is supported on blocks 10 or the like by means of guy wires 12, and the trapeze ropes 1S carrying the bar 19 are wrapped around the axle at 118 for unwinding therefrom as in the form of 3 and 4. The poles or arms 33 of Figs. 6 and 7 are mounted on the axle 15 by being pivotally connected at G5 to blocks 68 secured to the axle. Blocks (3S are secured to drums 124 corresponding to the pulleys 24, and the driving belt 25 is wound about each drum for driving the same through the crank 26. In this manner the belt 25 may be made to control the movements and the position of the arms 33 and their net 34 through the crank 2G. The performer 20 will be driven in front of the arms 33 and netas the crank .is turned, the performer starting from the top where arms 33 are held by belt 25 and crank 26 initially. As the device is rotated the ropes 1S will unwind. By stopping the crank 2G, arms 33 will be stopped and net 34 may be thereby disposed at the bottom as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 10, the arms 33 having been spread from converging liosition. The performer is propelled over the top ol'Y the circle on the last round and is then stopped by the spread net 34.

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided means for propelling a flexible trapezc about an axis, throwing a performer over the axis, increasing the radius of movement, and stopping the performer.

l claim:

1. Amusement apparatus having an axle, a trapeze having a bar adapted to swing about said axle, a propelling device rotatable about said axle to propel the trapeze over ltll) said axle, and an obstruction adapted to be automatically disposed in the path of the trapeze to stop a performer on the trapeze.

2. Amusement apparatus comprising a fixed horizontal axle, a flexible trapeze initially wound on said axle and adapted to have its radius increased as it swings around said axle, and a propelling device rotatable alf-out said axle to propel said trapeze, and performer thereon, around said axle.

3. Amusement apparatus comprising a horizontal axle, a support for a performer and a propelling device for said support rotatable about said axle and temporarily mounted upright above said axle, and means to give the propelling device an impulse to propel the performer over said axle at a velocity sufficient to be kept from falling by centrifugal force.

4. Amusement apparatus comprising two axes, a exible support for a performer adapted to swing about first one and then the other of said axes and a propelling device for said support rotatable about one of said axes to propel said support and performer over one of said axes at a velocity sullicient to be kept from falling by een trifugal force.

Amusement apparatus havingr an axle, a flexible trapeze connected with the axle and adapted to swing therearound, and a propelling frame to engage the trapeze and drive the same to cause the trapeze to pass over the axle, said frame being adapted to disengage the trapeze.

6. Amusement apparatus comprising a horizontal axle, a temporar rigid support for a performer above sai axle rotatable about said axle.and mounted at an approximately vertical position 4above said axle, means to substantially hold it in, and to release it from, that position at will, and a second support rotatable about said axle adapted to support said performer below said axle.

7. Amusement apparatus having an axle, a trapeze connected with the axle and adapted to swing therearound, and a propel ling member mounted on the axle and adapted to engage the trapeze to drive the same and to disengage the trapeze as desired.

8. Amusement apparatus having an axle, a trapeze connected with the axle and adapted to swing thereabout, said trapeze being flexible and having a bar parallel to said axle, and a propelling frame engaging the trapeze to drive the same over the axle.

9. Amusement apparatus having an axle, a flexible trapeze connected with the axle and adapted to swing therearound, and a propelling member to engage the trapeze un d drive the same over the axle.

10. Amusement apparatus comprising an axis. a flexible support for a performer adapted to swing around said axis, and a propellingr member for engaging said support to drive the same over said axis.

l1. Amusement apparatus having an axis. a flexible support for a performer adapted to swing around said axis, means to propel the flexible support. and means in the path thereof to intercept the performer.

l2. Amusement apparatus having an axle, a flexible support adapted to swing around said axe and connected therewith in such manner as to unwind from said axle as it swings around the axle for increasing the i by centrifugal force, and means to actuate` said propelling member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE H. RUMKE. 

